The Russian Sumovar

Since 1638, tea has had a rich and varied history in Russia. Due in part to Russia's cold northern climate, it is today considered the de facto national beverage , one of the most popular beverages in the country and is closely associated with traditional Russian culture.
An important aspect of the Russian tea culture is the ubiquitous Russian tea brewing device known as a Samovar, which has become a symbol of hospitality, and comfort. It was traditionally drunk at afternoon tea, but has since spread as an all day drink, especially at the end of meals served with soup or dessert.

A brick of tea presented to Crown Prince Nicholas (future Tsar Nicholas II), 1891Tea in Russia was introduced in 1638, when a Mongolian ruler donated to Tsar Michael I four poods (65–70 kg) of tea.According to Curtin, it was possibly in 1636that Vassili Starkov was sent as envoy to the Altyn Khan. As a gift to the Czar, he was given 250 pounds of tea. Starkov at first refused, seeing no use for a load of dead leaves, but the Khan insisted. Thus was tea introduced to Russia. In 1679, Russia concluded a treaty on regular tea supplies from China via camel caravan in exchange for furs.The Chinese ambassador to Moscow made a gift of several chests of tea to Alexis I. However, the difficult trade route made the cost of tea extremely high, so that the beverage became available only to royalty and the very wealthy of Russia.In 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed that formalized Russia's sovereignty over Siberia, and also marked the creation of the Tea Road that traders used between Russia and China.

Between the Treaty of Nerchinsk and the Kiakhta Agreement, Russia would increase its caravans going to China for tea, but only through state dealers. In 1706, Peter the Great made it illegal for any merchants to trade in Beijing. In 1736, Catherine the Great established regular imports of tea. By the time of Catherine's death in 1796, Russia was importing more than 3 million pounds by camel caravan in the form of loose tea and tea bricks, enough tea to considerably lower the price so that lower and middle class Russians could afford the beverage.
The peak year for the Kiakhta tea trade was in 1824, and the peak year for the tea caravans was 1860. From then, they started to decline when the first leg of the Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed in 1880. Faster train service allowed for tea to be imported from nearly a year and a half to eventually just over a week.[8] The decline in Chinese tea in the mid 19th century in turn meant that Russia began to import more tea from Odessa, and London. By 1905, horse drawn tea transport had ended, and by 1925 caravan as the sole means of transport for tea had ended.In 2002, Russia imported some 162,000 metric tons of tea.

Tea packaging in Batum, early 20th century.By the end of the 18th century, tea prices had moderately declined. The first local tea plant was set in Nikitsk botanical gardens in 1814, while the first industrial tea plantation was established in 1885.[3] The tea industry did not take off until World War I, and greatly expanded following World War II. Prior to the fall of the USSR, "the total area under tea as 3,707 acres (15.00 km2) with an annual production of 3,858-4,4409 tons from two factories."[cite this quote] However, by the mid 1990s, tea production came to a standstill. Today, the main area in Russia for tea production is in the vicinity of Sochi, which has the world's northernmost tea plantations.

Ironically one of the most extravacant Russian Tea Room   built outside Russia is in New York!!

Choyon KH.